Honoring and Remembering

This Memorial Day weekend we take time to honor and remember the brave men and women of the United States armed forces who went away to serve and never came back. They and their families have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Cpl George A. Lutz II paid the ultimate sacrifice to his country while serving in Fallujah, Iraq on December 29, 2005. With the shot of a sniper’s bullet, he joined the ranks of those we honor this weekend.

But is a weekend truly enough to take time to pause and reflect?

George Lutz, and many other Americans think there is more that we can do to honor and remember the fallen.

As the father of a fallen service member, Lutz has the unique perspective of speaking openly to the grieving families of our fallen heroes. As one might guess, the concerns that the families typically have are that their sacrifice not be in vain and that the nation never forget.

At the present time, there is not a unified national symbol to honor and remember all of the brave men and women who died in uniform serving our country – from the Revolutionary War until last week. Not one symbol... Thus the Honor and Remember flag was conceived.

George Lutz, Founder and Executive Director of Honor and Remember, Inc., works tirelessly to ensure that the Honor and Remember flag serves as a continuous reminder of those who lost their lives defending our liberty.


The following Mission, Rationale and Goals can be found on the Honor and Remember web site:

Mission: To create, establish and promote a nationally recognized flag that would fly continuously as a visible reminder to all Americans of the lives lost in defense of our national freedoms. All Military lives lost not only in action but also in service, from our nation's inception.

Rationale: In our over 200 year history there has never been an official national symbol that recognizes in gratitude and respect the ultimate sacrifice made by members of the United States military in service to our nation. The Honor and Remember Flag was created for that purpose.

Goals:

1. To promote the vision of the Honor and Remember Flag and request that visitors to the website sign a petition and pass the word about the importance of this new symbol.

2. To build a consensus among the branches of the United States military, veterans organizations, service and civic groups, businesses and individuals in order to collectively solicit the Department of Defense and the United States Congress to propose and accept the Honor and Remember Flag as the official flag for honoring all fallen servicemen and servicewomen.

3. To promote broad national awareness of and groundswell interest in the flag, so that military, government and educational facilities as well as households throughout the country would begin flying the Honor and Remember Flag in recognition of our nation's fallen warriors.

4. To place one personalized Honor and Remember Flag in the hands of immediate families who have lost a loved one in military service to America.

At the present time, there are a few official state endorsements. However, endorsements from nationally recognized organizations have been strong. The journey will be a long one, but I look forward to the day when the Honor and Remember flag is flown across all fifty states.

So as I reflect on Memorial Day weekend and its meaning, I think of Cpl George A. Lutz II and the love of a father yearning to ensure we have one unified symbol to honor our fallen.

To learn more about Honor and Remember and its mission, please visit www.honorandremember.org

There is also an area on the site where you may sign a petition, to show your support.

A Challenge to Entrepreneurs During National Small Business Week

This is the week designated as National Small Business Week, by the US Small Business Administration (SBA). There is no doubt that small businesses play a key role in driving the US economy.

Small businesses often start off as dreams. The dream to create something of value, the dream to work for oneself, the dream to create wealth….. The list goes on and on.

These sorts of entrepreneurial dreams have sparked imaginations and made nations great. They have caused people to stir at night and strive for greatness.

Often times, however, a person can be so very close to their dream and yet never quite achieve it.

Perhaps there is only an idea and some passion. We all know that these two things are often not enough to realize the dream of building a business, or growing it into a larger venture.

In our current world economy, there are many times when an entrepreneurial dream cannot be achieved without a spark.

I’ve decided to celebrate National Small Business Week by providing a small spark, on a global scale.

While my spark is small, it will make the difference to a yam producer in Togo, a food market owner in Uganda, a poultry producer in Uganda and a seafood retail establishment owner in the Philippines.

I’ve created an account on KIVA.org, so that I can assist these small business owners and fellow dreamers with some micro-financing. I’ve joined the ranks of more than 450,000 others who have contributed towards the small business owner’s goal, by making a micro-loan.

By doing this, I am able to assist the small business owners in a mutually dignified and respectful way. Also, the manner in which I help is providing accountability to the business owner, since it is indeed a loan that will be paid back in full. Once the loans are repaid, I can then lend funding to additional small business owners.

So how much money am I talking about? Perhaps it is the cost of eating out one night.

For as little as $25, you may provide assistance to a business owner somewhere in the world who possesses the same entrepreneurial spirit that you do. The same determination…. The same desire…

So what do you get out of it? You receive the knowledge that your micro-loan is providing someone with the opportunity to create or grow a business. Your small contribution can go a long way!

As I write this blog post, more than 450,000 people from around the world have felt the satisfaction of seeding entrepreneurship. To date, nearly $139 Million worth of loans have been made to 197 countries through KIVA contributors. Perhaps you have already participated in this effort.

Maybe you’re thinking that times are tough and this isn’t the right time to participate. Perhaps you have started your own company and don’t feel like you have the resources to get involved in something like this. I completely understand, as I have started up a company as well. Like everyone else, I am feeling the effects of this great recession.

However, it is times like these that cause me to think about the importance of going beyond myself and my community to make a difference.

If you’re a small business owner, I challenge you to help spread the seeds of entrepreneurship and fertilize them with hope. I believe there is no better time to make this statement than during National Small Business Week.

While your monetary commitment can be quite small, your impact is sure to be great.

Join us in sending the message around that world, that entrepreneurship is alive and well!

To learn more about KIVA and how you can help, please visit www.kiva.org.

A Flight to Holland via Dacula, GA

Words can stir the soul when they come from the heart.

The Dacula Lions Club was informed and inspired last week by a visit from Angie Jinright and Bill Russell. They joined us to discuss the journey of three year old Jackson Jinright and his struggle with Peroxisomal Disorder, a rare congenital affliction caused by the absence of cell components.

While a cure is currently lacking, it was clear that there was not a lack of Faith or Determination by Jackson’s mother, Angie Jinright, or Jackson’s grandfather, Bill Russell.

It was evident that the quest for a cure and enhanced quality of life for Jackson is a constant goal for Jackson’s entire family. Every six months, the family travels to Barcelona, Spain in order for Jackson to receive treatment from Dr. Manuela Martinez and the staff at The Manuela Martinez Foundation for Children with Metabolic Diseases. The treatments consist of a fatty-acid DHA dietary supplement to aid development, combined with intense therapy. The treatments to not act as a cure, but do assist in weight gain and a general improvement in health. In between treatments in Spain, Jackson is immersed by the love of his family and various occupational, physical and speech therapies back in Georgia.

Jackson’s family takes great care to increase his quality of life, while keeping a firm eye towards finding a cure. They have tirelessly to raise funds for a cure and their efforts have been an inspiration to many – including myself.

So while the poem Welcome to Holland was written by Emily Perl Kingsley, and describes the journey that many parents relate to as they reflect on the beginning of a journey of caring for a child with a disability, it was our guests that caused everyone’s soul to stir at the meeting.

I salute Angie Jinright, Bill Russell and everyone else in the world that makes “Holland” a much better place.

Welcome to Holland

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability to try to help people understand it, to imagine how it would feel. Its like this.

When you are going to have a baby, its like planning a fabulous vacation trip to Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michaelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. Its all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, Welcome to Holland.

HOLLAND?! you say. What do you mean, Holland? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy.

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've land in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guidebooks. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would have never met.
Its just a different place. Its slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy.

But, after you've been there for a while you catch your breath, you look around, and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills. Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy, and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say, Yes, thats where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned.

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever go away, because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss.

But if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to go to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about Holland.

To learn more about Jackson Jinright and follow his progress, please visit http://jinright-family.eachday.com/.

You may also learn more about Peroxisomal Disorder and the Manuela Martinez Foundation for Children with Metabolic Diseases by visiting http://www.martinezfoundation.com/.